Latest Update

On the Home front

Hi Friends and Family, thank you very much for your continued support for our family and ministry. Our hearts are full of praise to God, for His goodness towards us. We are grateful for His provision and protection. We are grateful also for you who stand with us, pray for our family and ministry. We were blessed with an opening for Ndumiso in the school we originally registered him at (he was on their waiting list). He is loving it and learning a lot. We are excited for the busy season of investing in the lives of young leaders. Please pray for us as we disciple and guide these youngsters to become all God intended them to be.

Training the Church to Make Disciples

On the 14^th of April, I got to do training with the Leadership of various ministries (e.g. Sunday school, Youth Ministry, woman’s ministry, outreach team, senior leadership of the church etc.) at Evander. This was to be an introductory training to launch the 4 Module training journey with the church. Over the next 18 months I will be training these leaders as well as coaching them to implement a disciple making strategy for their respective ministries. As part of this journey participants are required to pass this training to the second generation of leaders within their ministries.  Please pray for this journey. We will be doing the first module over two Saturdays, 23 June and 30 June.

Youth Workers

Our Youth Workers return tonight for their second intensive training of the year, which starts tomorrow 1^st June until the 22^nd June. This is a time for them to reflect on almost half the year and receive more training. It’s always good to see the growth that’s taken place and hear what they’ve been doing and challenged with. Please do pray that we wouldn’t be simply going through the paces but will have meaningful times of helping each other be more like Christ, reflecting his priorities for us as individuals and the ministries we and people we serve.

Short Term Internship

From the 10^th June we will welcome 4 more interns on our 6 Weeks programme, their first 12 days will overlap with the year-long interns. The focus of this internship is on becoming a disciple and making disciples. Together they will put together and run a camp for underprivileged kids from surrounding communities. Besides this, they will be part of Sports Camp for teenagers as camp counsellors and assist in running a Holiday Bible Club in a nearby community. Please pray that these interns will have a teachable spirit and that the program will have an impact in their heart.

Team changes

Since last year we have been undergoing a series of staff changes. Our latest additions to the team are Nicholas and Ashley Stock and their little Samuel. Nicholas has been working with us since January and Ashley joined at the end of April after having been on maternity leave. We are grateful for them and the value they add. Please do pray for them as they are discovering their place, learning how the community functions and fundraising to meet personal and ministry needs.

Additional Prayer Points

• Open doors to new churches
• Wisdom for discipling and coaching our youth workers
• Good health for our family

First Training Intensive

Ezasedladleni

A big thank you to our friends and family who support, encourage and keep us in their prayers. The year started well for us, with good health and lots of ministry opportunities. We had a good break over the Christmas holiday and were refreshed to start with a new bunch of trainees. Ndumiso started attending a play school and is taking a long time getting used to going to school but he loves it when he is there. This week he has been home nursing bronchitis, doctors orders. He is doing better. Please pray for complete healing and no recurrence.  

On the 10th of January we started training with our 2018 intake of Youth Workers and Bethel Semester Abroad students. This training intensive is 6 weeks long and lasted until 20 February. The participants spent 6 weeks learning to be disciples, live like disciples and make disciples. It is such an honour and privilege for us to disciple and equip them to make disciples. We aim to model and instil the character and priorities of Jesus for life and ministry. Having these two groups with us at the same time gave us such rich, inspiring and diverse community.

Youth Workers

In our year long ministry training and personal discipleship programme we have 7 interns for 2018. We partner with their local churches to disciple and train them. J-Life provides ministry training and coaching to these young adults for a disciple making life-style in 3 training intensives throughout the year. Between the training intensives they serve as interns at their local churches. Back in their church they will be discipled and disciple others as they grow in the spiritual walk with God.


Bethel Semester Abroad

This year we are hosting a third group for the Bethel Semester Abroad programme. These are college students from Bethel College in Indiana, USA. J-Life and Camp Eden acts as home base for them, from which they get to experience a variety of different ministry and cultural settings. They spent the first 5 weeks of their 3 months stay being trained alongside the Youth Worker. Because they are college students they spend some of the time studying and writing assignments.


Scripture Union

We took the 7 Youth Workers down to Underberg for a week of training with Scripture Union. Over the years we have had SU's trainers come up here and train our Youth Worker for Schools and Childrens Ministry. This year we joined them at their #CountMeIn volunteers training. Along with Scripture Union volunteers, our Youth Workers were trained in Children and Schools ministry. Scripture Union has a rich history of being active in schools as well as running excellent Holiday Bible Clubs. The training given will enable our interns to run School Christian Groups and present life skills lessons in schools. They also have the tools to plan and run a Holiday Bible Club for kids in their community.

Schools Ministry

The trainees got to put to practice their teaching skills in 2 High Schools where they got to teach Grade 8 and 9 classes. The lifeskills lessons they presented are part of what ErgoNowLead offers to churches as a means of impacting schools in their communities. For more info visit their website here

GC2 Group

We started a journey with Pastors and ministry leaders from Siyathemba to train and coach them for disciple making. This is particularly exciting to me as I get to train in my home town. Over the years it has been difficult to start a GC2 Group (Great Commission and Great Commandment) in my home town. We just completed our first of 4 Modules with these key leaders and we will embark on the journey of coaching for implementation over the next 3-4 months. Please pray that all those who have been trained will be able to implement disciple making strategy at their church. Please pray for a paradigm shift in methods and message.

Ministry News

To all our friends and ministry partners, we are grateful for your friendship and partnership throughout this year. When we reflect on everything God has allowed us to be part of in 2017, we know that it would not have been possible without your role. We stand and serve because through you God has provided the support we need to do all He called us to. The principle of ‘Ubuntu’ teaches us umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. This means we do not exist as an island, we are created for relationship and community.

The Gap Year programme

Trainees and staff on the end of year hike.

The Gap Year programme is always one of our biggest highlights of the year because we spend most of our time with these young people. Every year in January we receive a group of young people, eager to receive training and go serve. As the staff, we spend time getting to know each of them, helping on their journey of becoming the men and woman God intends them to be. This is done through devotions, ministry training and personal discipleship. It is such a joy to witness the growth that takes place during their time with us. We know that this is only a part of their discipleship journey, so we always encourage the trainees to find someone to disciple them further at the end of their year with us. Our biggest lesson this year is to acknowledge that we only play a part in a work that God is doing. God has been doing work in the lives of the trainees before we met them, and he will “carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). We have to be faithful and do our best in the time they are entrusted to us.

Regional Director Role

By far my (Bhuti) biggest growth this year came from learning and taking on this new challenge of becoming regional director. In this role I come alongside Chico, country leader of Mozambique, to help him as he mobilises disciple making movements in that country. Chico has spearheaded J-Life work in his country since 2013. Over the years he has built a team of regional trainers (Movement Builder Multipliers) who are doing a sterling job of equipping the church to make disciples. 

Engaging with a peer on discipleship and coaching challenged me a lot. Not only did we discuss strategies and review plans and goals, we also spoke about glorifying God in how we live and lead our families; we prayed and studied the Word together. That is where the growth came from, going beyond curriculum to engaging authentically as followers of Christ. Please pray for our planned visit to Mozambique in 2018.

J-Life South Africa Summit

J-Life SA Summit: Josh, Jess and Gail left before the picture was taken

In November, the J-Life South Africa team met in Cape Town for our national summit. It was a huge blessing to be under one roof as we are based in different provinces and hardly come together.

J-Life Africa STM Co-ordinator

Jann flanked by Kelita and Joe in Zambia

A new role I (Jann) have taken on this year is that of helping our leaders across the continent plan, prepare and host a short term mission from partner churches. It has been really meaningful to use the skills and experience I’ve gained from hosting mission teams on Camp Eden and make them available to others in our team. I am also learning as I grow into this role. Each country is different, with its own capabilities and challenges, which keeps things interesting.

I had the privilege of being in Zambia for a short time during the STM from Grace Community with Joe, our country leader there. It was wonderful to see all the months of planning come together. Joe has a great team and they added much value to the team from Grace. Meeting Kelita, Joe’s wife and  working alongside them was a highlight. It was also good to spend time with friends from the USA and make some new ones.

Merry Christmas

Have a blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of our Saviour with friends and family. We pray that 2018 will be a year of greater impact for his Kingdom.

Ndumiso turned 4 in November

March-April Ministry News

Home Front

Family is a great blessing! We often reflect on just how blessed we are in this regard. Our extended
J-Life family is and has been going through many changes this year. Some Hello's, some Good-byes and quite a few See you Later's. Through these changes we are reminded to keep listening to the Father and remain obedient to his calling.

We often only acknowledge God when big things happen but he is equally present in the day to day happenings - his presence is constant, he keeps us healthy and always provides for our needs. We are grateful.

Youth Worker update

Our Youth Workers have been back in their communities where they are serving in their churches. This is always challenging and stretching for the trainees. When they hit the ground they soon realise that serving and leading is a lot harder than they imagined. Below two of our Youth Workers share a lesson and highlights.

“My biggest lesson has to be the one about serving. Just as there is no such thing as a non-functioning member of the human body, so there ought to be no such thing as a non-functioning member of the body of Christ. This is helping me to find my place of service through my spiritual gifts, natural talents and ministry skills. As I am learning this, I am also sharing it with the young people I am discipling.” Tumelo, Faith Mission Outreach, Heidelberg.

"After I came back from Camp Eden, the practical block ahead of me posed many challenges that I didn't feel I could overcome. Things like planning and managing our Friday night youth event and finding someone to mentor. But by the grace of God I managed to overcome them one by one. 
The biggest highlight of it all is that I have been able to learn and grow myself spiritually and mentally in an environment where the church staff and members are willing to guide and nurture me along the way. I've been able to build new relationships and learn a few new things about myself through this first prac block. For that I am truly grateful to God." 
Londiwe, Randpark Ridge United, JHB

Training Pastors and Youth Pastors to make disciples

Over the past two months we spent a lot of time knocking on Pastors and Youth Pastors doors to arrange training in different areas. We are doing this through 1 Day disciplemaking seminars that serve as an introduction to our training material. J-Life has learnt that seminars are good for information, NOT so much for transformation. Our goal is to run as many disciplemaking seminars as possible, and to use this platform to identify Pastors and Youth Pastors who want more. We plan to take those who want more than just information through our GC² Groups for training, coaching and discipling for implementation.
We have trained two groups of youth leaders, one in Finetown and the other in KwaThema. We are at different stages of planning these seminars in other towns.

Lead THE Cause

We took 2 of our youth workers and 4 young leaders they serve with at Ignite Youth, Acts Family Church to #fierceltc17. Lead THE Cause (LTC) is an equipping event for high school students that transforms young believers into leaders and life-long disciples.  Go.Live.Dare. ran this powerful event at Every Nation Rosebank. It was by far one of the most practical conferences and teens were given tools to share the gospel.

If you are around Durban or Cape Town, this event is coming your way. Check it out here. This event combines small and large group evangelism training and includes opportunities to engage unbelievers in different contexts.

Prayer Items

Please pray that God will provide us with people to join our support team as intercessors. If this is something you or someone you know would like to be part of, please contact us.

5-7 May – Training 2 groups of Clergy and lay leaders from Diocese of Johannesburg, Diocese of Pretoria, Diocese of Christ the King, Diocese of the Highveld
Please pray that this will spark a movement of disciplemaking in the Anglican Church.

8-12 May - Waterstone College Grade 9 Tour focused on serving in communities
Please pray for the hearts of the students as they learn about serving others, that it will become a lifelong attitude

13 May- One day Disciplemaking Seminar
Please pray that this will open doors to churches in Tsakane, Duduza and KwaThema townships.

17-21 May - Connecting with Youth pastors and training in the South Coast, KZN.
Please pray for safe travels for our family

22-26 May – J-Life Southern Africa Summit
Please pray for safe travels for all delegates and that it will be a great time of refuelling

8-30 June – Second Training intensive for the Youth Workers
Please pray for their ministries as they are away for 3 weeks

18 June - 29 July – 6 Weeks Internship
Please pray for more South African students to sign up

Jan-Feb Ministry News

The Home front

Our family is doing well and continue to enjoy being part of the J-Life family at Camp Eden. We are constantly learning what it means to be parents to Ndumiso who is now a busy 3 year old. He has recently taken to climbing which has both pro’s and con’s for living on a farm. We are extremely blessed to have him grow up in this environment and he loves it!

Jesus commissioned us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18-20). As a family we are currently fulfilling this call through discipling J-Life trainees and training them to “make disciples who make disciples”.

The Youth Worker program

We have just completed our first of 3 training intensives in the Youth Worker Program. The participants spent 6 weeks learning to be disciples, live like disciples and make disciples. It is such an honour and privilege for us to disciple and equip them to make disciples. We aim to model and instil the character and priorities of Jesus for life and ministry. Over the 6 weeks we spent time doing that through lectures, spending time in community, small group studies, morning prayer, exercise and serving together. 

Scripture Union

We had 3 trainers from SU who spent a week equipping our interns for School and Children’s Ministry.  Scripture Union has a rich history of being active in schools as well as running excellent Holiday Bible Clubs. The training given will enable our interns to run Christian groups and present life skills lessons in schools. They also have the tools to plan and run a Holiday Bible Club for kids in their community.

The interns were given an opportunity to practice what they learnt during their time with Scripture Union Trainers. We visited 2 different high schools in the area where they presented life skills lessons to Grades 7, 8 and 9 classes.

Observation Visits

Part of our learning comes from others who are in the trenches of youth ministry. This intensive we visited JAM Youth at Selcourt Methodist, Springs. We were able to chat to Enoch (J-Life 2015) about their strategy to reach and disciple the youth of Springs and the surrounding suburbs.

We also visited Encouter Youth, a ministry of Everynation Rosebank and got to learn from Mark and Debbie Tittley, veteran youth workers.

Thank you to both groups for the investment into our interns and sharing how you reach and disciple teens in your communities.

Regional Directors Meetings

I (Bhuti) attended the J-Life Africa regional directors meetings held here at Camp Eden, 7-11 Feb. This was to learn more about my interim role as regional director. In this role I will be looking after our J-Life Mozambique Country Leader, Chico.
We spent time planning together for the regional summits which will take place in four host countries across the continent.
We are excited to see what the Lord is doing and is about to do in our beloved Africa.    

Please join us in prayer for…

-financial provision for our family (We currently need to raise more support in order to meet our monthly budget for living and ministry expenses).

-for the trainees to grow as disciples and to make disciples

-for our team as we disciple the trainees

-open doors to conduct training in new areas (expand our influence)

-a movement of disciple-making across the continent

December Update

As we wrap up the year we are filled with gratitude. We are grateful to God for all his goodness, mercies and provision for our family. We end this year at a different place emotionally and spiritually than we were last year. We are thankful to God for all he has done and continues to do in our lives. We are also grateful to you, family and friends, for your support and prayers.

Our family would like to wish you and your family a happy Christmas. As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember the reason for the season, as a famous cliché goes.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” - Isaiah 7:14

“For God SO loved the WORLD [this means both the naughty and the nice] that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16

People may not be on Santa’s list but they are definitely on God’s list. Let us share the gift of salvation with them.

L to R: Vincent, Gavin, Hlengiwe, Nathan, Tyler, Nicole, Zrano and Abigail

We had a great time hosting our 2016 Gap Year Students for the final debrief. We shared meals and stories as we took some time to look back at what the Lord had done. As usual, the majestic Drakensberg and Sterkfontein Dam were the backdrops for this time of reflection.

Every year when it’s time for the student to move on to the next stage of their life, I [Bhuti] have mixed feelings. I am excited to release them to “Go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19) but I am also worried that some are not spiritually ready or “fully equipped” or other excuses. In the beginning of the year it’s easy to accept that the trainees are at different stages of the discipleship journey. However at the end of the year, we worry about certain individuals that did not grow at a certain rate, or are not at the same stage as the “others”. I am learning that it’s good to be concerned but I need to trust God for the rest of their journey. The students are entrusted to us for a season. We should be diligent and faithful in discipling them while they are with us. We are to do our best to follow up where possible knowing that “He who began a good work in [the lives of our trainees] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). With this in mind I reminded them that coming to the end of their year is not equivalent to graduation. We don’t graduate anyone at J-Life because a disciple is a life-long learner.

Matthew during a mission trip

Matthew was not able to be with us for debriefing as he still had to run a camp. As a Scripture Union Trendsetter, Matthew did a lot of camps and schools ministry during the year. It was really a blessing to watch him grow in his gifting and leadership throughout the year, which we got to witness first hand when he co-led our annual kids camp.

VAC Fest was a huge success. We had nearly 400 young people and leaders gather for 5 days of vacating from our usual routines and drawing closer to God. The highlight for me [Jann] was definitely the team of young adults who worked tirelessly to make VAC happen. Nothing was too much for them – and some went back to their jobs after a week of long days and nights! What a gift each of them are to the Kingdom.

We are spending the Christmas holidays in Port Elizabeth with family and friends. Ndumiso is enjoying spending time with his cousins and grandparents. 

We wish all of you a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year.

We look forward to what God has in store for the 2017. 

It's October!

On the home front

We are grateful to God who has been good to us as a family. He has blessed us with good health and surrounded us with tremendous supportive family and friends. We are richer and stronger because of the fellowship.

Bhuti has been running a bible study twice a week with some of the men on the farm. Others have shown interest in joining, please pray that we will be able to reach everyone with the gospel.

Youth Workers

The 26^th September   saw our Youth Worker trainees return to Eden for their third and final training intensive. The first four days of this intensive was focused on multiplying disciples. The training covered the Multiplication module, with the focus on “bearing much fruit” (John 15:8) in our lives.  We focused intentionally on the disciple-making life-style because serving in a church, as part of their gap year, may cause a dependence on church structure and programmes for ministry. They may find it difficult to make disciples in the university, work place or wherever God calls them to. This was a reminder that our life is our ministry.

STeM

On the 30^th September the Youth Workers were joined by friends and some of those they have been discipling for STeM (Short Term equipping Mission). The training for the short term mission lasted from Friday evening until Monday morning. The training prepared them for the mission they were about to do as well as equipping them for planning their own mission trip.

Training covered:

• Purpose of a short term mission
• How to share the Gospel
• Summary of strategy 
• Children Ministry
• Ministry Opportunities during a mission trip
• Crossing Cultures
• Catering for a mission

We divided this group into two teams sending them to two communities in the East Rand

Team Tsakane

The team to Tsakane was hosted by The Nazarene Church. During the mission they got to run Holiday Bible Club for the kids, do sports ministry with teenagers, door to door evangelism and run a service. They all testify of seeing God at work through their team in the community and they grew through this experience. One of their highlights as a group was leading 18+ teenagers to Christ at the end of a soccer match.

Team Daveyton

This team was hosted by Chris and Happy Mnguni at Grace Baptist Church. Chris went through the J-Life training in 2006, then went on study theology through Christ Seminary and upon graduating he planted the church.  The team got to preach the gospel at a local clinic in the early morning, have a Holiday Bible Club, do door to door evangelism and run evangelistic services in the evenings.

Leadership Camps
This is also the season for school leadership camps. Jann has recently been involved in Grade 6 camps for Leicester Road and Jeugkrag Primary schools. Working with these kids is always good fun and a great opportunity to impact young leaders, helping them to make good choices and lead well.

Prayer items

• Health, strength and provision
• Opportunities to share the gospel with our neighbours
• Opening to new churches and pastors fraternals
• Quality Interns for 2017
• Wisdom during interviews and selection

Upcoming Events

• Youth Worker Debrief - December
• VAC Fest - December

Thank you to all our supporters for your financial contributions and prayers.